TOP 5: Manchester United non-summer signings

January 20, 2014

As Manchester United hurtle towards the end of the winter transfer window without a single signing, fans can count themselves lucky that the club have once again avoided the pitfalls of the break. The risks are obvious: there’s no value in the market, none of the players United want are available, and it’s hard to find someone good enough to get into the United side. That is, of course, rubbish. Other players good enough for United have already been bought (see Nemanja Matic at Chelsea as we were soundly humped), almost any player would be good enough to improve Manchester United these days, and if Moyes and United had done the correct amount of groundwork then players would already have been announced before the transfer window had been opened.

In the past, United have also done perfectly well in the winter transfer window, and before that they had no problems buying excellent players in the winter months. There at least five excellent examples, which is lucky because this is a top five. Here is that top five. Top five:

Nemanja Vidic

While Liverpool were also rumoured to be interested, Alex Ferguson moved quickly enough to ensure that United got their best centre-back pairing of all time by buying the Serb from Spartak Moscow. He also generously gave Vidic the chance of having to never play for that awful, vile, rancid, grotesque parody of a football club, Liverpool Football Club (note to Liverpool fans, this is an exaggeration for comic effect, please do not write in. Mainly because nobody will read your letters, emails or tweets).

Adapting to the Premier League in full mid-season flight was difficult for him, nonetheless, and it appeared that Vidic might indeed have been suited to the less able team on the coast. Despite the early struggles, Vidic formed a partnership with Rio Ferdinand that meant that whatever happened ahead of them, United would rarely concede. Confidence might have been given to the fans with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney dismantling sides for fun, but the players themselves knew that their success was just as reliant on Vidic and Ferdinand, along with Gary Neville, Rafael, Patrice Evra and Edwin Van der Sar.

Injuries and age have taken their toll, and when he leaves, probably this winter, it will suit both parties, but that doesn’t mean his contribution should ever be understated.

Another winter success story is Patrice Evra, bought in the same window as Vidic. He also endured a miserable start to his career, falling apart in his first match at Manchester City. Alex Ferguson, however, knew that the left-back bought from Monaco was the man to replace Gabriel Heinze, who never truly recovered from a serious knee injury. For a season and a half there was a duel between two but Evra won out.

Evra proved himself to be United’s best left-back since Denis Irwin. He was an important counter-attacking outlet on the left wing, he was strong in the tackle and beguiling in speaking to the press. He told Frank Lampard to suck his pussy (admittedly before playing for United). He called Arsenal a small club. He outed Luis Suarez as a racist and stood him down every time they met afterwards, acting with dignity and pride. Patrice Evra is one of the few modern players to ‘get’ United, and the fact he was the best left-back in the world for a few years is simply a bonus to his zesty approach to life.

Heinze, for his part, tried to join Liverpool. United stopped him due to it likely to cause a nuclear war between the two sides, and Heinze suffered a miserable career afterwards, going on to live in cities like, er, Madrid, Marseille and Rome. In fact, United probably did him a favour. They should have made him live in Liverpool.

Louis Saha

Saha was bought from Fulham in 2004, and despite his time being hampered by injuries (perhaps caused partly by poor diet – he appeared to only come around to vegetables in about 2006, giving a shout out to broccoli in an interview), Louis Saha was part of the squad that overhauled Chelsea and won the Champions League. It was Saha’s pace which provided Ferguson with the template to turn things around after years of struggle.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was proving increasingly fractious and was phased out by Ferguson in the 2005-6 season, with Saha his replacement. That season, Saha was chosen ahead of Van Nistelrooy in the League Cup victory, though United couldn’t prevent a Chelsea league victory.

That summer, Ferguson made his sole signing, Michael Carrick, and the doom was on for most fans. But it was a masterstroke. With Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs on the wings, and Wayne Rooney with Saha up front, Carrick and Paul Scholes launched counter-attack after counter-attack demolishing sides so regularly that United quickly established a lead in the league that they wouldn’t let go of.

The template was set, and embellished with signings like Anderson, Nani, Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez. Without Saha, it might not have been clear to Ferguson how he could get back on his perch.

Hilariously, hilarious hard man Neil Ruddock hilariously broke Andy Cole’s legs in a reserve match, what a hilarious man that hard man is. That hilarious man is now a joke in most people’s eyes, whereas Andy Cole overcame that obstacle, the signing of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the dent to his confidence when Alex Ferguson pursued Alan Shearer in the summer to replace him, only to prove himself one of the best strikers in United’s history. He didn’t have the finishing of Van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie or Solskjaer. Nor did he have the flair of Wayne Rooney or Eric Cantona. He had good link-up play and impressive finishing, but nothing spectacular.

What was spectacular was an almost telepathic relationship with Dwight Yorke. Ferguson hadn’t planned the partnership, but his penchant for rotating his strikers, including Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham meant that the combination was going to happen at some point, and the two strikers created something so inexplicably perfect. While they might have failed to score in the final against Bayern Munich, it might be said that when it came down to the whole competition, they might not have unscrewed the lid, but they did a fucking good job of loosening it.

There are attempts to describe them that almost do them justice, but it’s just easier to watch this video.

98 Comments

@ Tommy - I admire your many about faces and your rigorous defence but you are talking crap. The Everton fan was responding to questions and he gave his answers, you called him a bitter as if it was not his real opinion. People making out like Everton fans are jealous Moyes is no longer manager are fools. I know quite a few and there are relieved to finally watch good attacking football at Everton. No one misses Moyes. Some are more appreciative of him than others but ALL Everton fans interviewed stated Moyes was weak on tactics and transfers. Deal with it. That is his record and it has continued at United.

As for your comment on tactics and players, it was nonsense but I am too lazy to go find it. It is also nonsense that good players with poor tactics should win. If we set up with 2 weak players in MF including Everton's record sale Fellani, any decent EPL team can overload MF and kill us. Tactics do matter no matter which players you have. If you don't see that then you really should not be commenting much on football. You think Chelsea beat Barca to CL because they have better players or tactics that worked? It is naive to the point of "ok ma God" to think that tactics don't matter against other EPL teams. There is no pushover team in this league or the CL. You should know that all opponents need to be respected.

@ Gary - Spot on. There is no way a Club the size of United with the 4th highest wage bill in Europe should not qualify for the CL. Bookies had us to finish 3rd or 4th this season and everyone was offended that they had not put us first. It's not the players its the manager.

He was right on one thing that it was terrible defending on the set pieces. Evans defending was Sunday league standard for the third goal. Football is a very simple game and man marking is as simple as it gets. Just completely lost Cahill and cost us a shocking goal. Truly awful defending from Evans. No excuse for losing your man.

@ Tommy - you have made a rod for your own back by the abuse you dish out, after first coming on this blog and criticising othes for attacking other fans. Also you have no idea how many dinners I have and my nanhas definately gone to more games than you. Now behave.

Totally missing the point, say for a game against palace, United should win playing 4 4 2, 433, 4231, 451 or whatever formation the manager chooses against these teams, which is a fact, I never once mentioned tactics are not important so stop twisting peoples words

Spot on mate, awful defending but that must also be the managers fault, as is when welbeck misses infront of goal and other mistakes, lets not blame the players its all the managers fault for every mistake made

There has been a big change tactically in how we mark. Under SAF it was a combination of man marking good players and zonal marking with a relatively high defensive line and ball playing defenders and a settled defensive unit with rotation of experienced players, when we had injuries we still one titles with Carrick playing in defence. Under Moyes its a low defensive line and players often don't seem to know where they should be, who they are making or how they should be defending. The defence is disorganised and the tactics getting the ball out of defence and defending in MF are poor.

NBI, I hold my hands up that I reacted with laughter when I saw some journalists having us finish outside the top 4 pre season. I thought it was wishful thinking on their part but it looks like they've got their wish. I didn't fancy our chances of the title this season but I honestly thought top 4 was a banker. We've not been in the top four all bloody season! A novice couldn't have done a worse job if he tried.

@ Tommy - so tell me something - your view is basically Moyes is perfect and the players are to blame for everything right? Not the guy who selects players, coaches players, buys players and chooses tactics?

The errors United is making are a function of a team that is unsettled, disorganised and has no confidence. That stems from the manager.

Well lets face it top 4 is out of reach for this season. I hope im wrong but with the current mess, its just not possible.

@Gary Mitrovic

You are absolutely right. I think we might lose more. Dont even want to think the matches against Shitty, Loserfools, Gooners, Toffeefees and Newcastle. Even some of the other fixtures worry me.

Its really sad what is happening atm. I doubt those muppets around Moyes really know what they re doing. And DM seems to be too stubborn to learn from his own mistakes. He really needs to forget that english language is a must when looking at transfer targets and more options will open. No wonder there is no target for him....Wake the f. up and wake the f. up now!

Bid for Cabaye, he fits the description, or is it the Glazerfazers freaking policy not to buy players over the age of 24 for more than 20 mil? Well guess what, there is no other option atm. Will Hughes could also be a good target, but he would need time to adjust and develop. No other options that would make instant impact.

Well no point arguing anyway. We wont buy anyone anyway this window and we will hear one of the known excuses for it. And making the same mistakes match in match out will just make us slip down the ladder. I think if we finish 6th, it wont be that bad at all, considering all the mess that was created....

Tommy, yes there is not much Moyes can do about that when Evans goes AWOL on a corner. I played a decent standard of football and can honestly say I never lost my man. Sometimes the ball can fall sweetly for the attacker but he should have at least been close enough to him to put him off. He deserved a cup of tea thrown at him for that. I was disgusted with him.

@ RedOne - Finishing 6th for United is not acceptable. It has to be top 4 or he needs to go. None of the other teams have been that convincing this season, all got off to poor starts bar Arsenal who we also beat and there was not reason for United to be in this position. Moyes is too poor a manager to manage at this level. As for blaming the people around him he put them there. Moyes will do what suits Moyes. He thinks he is the best coach, best at tactics, best at buying players. He is none of those things. So why is he here? United will need to massively supplement his limited abilities to save this season and Moyes is to arrogant to realise he needs to swallow his pride and do what is good for United and get in people who are better coaches than him and his bunch of lemons. Him sitting there with a face like a bag of chisels is not doing any good. But there is no chance Moyes will do what is good for United, he will suit himself, surround himself with weak yes men and blame everyone else. Look how he got his excuses for the CL in early - we lack 6/7 players, then took credit for the CL wins. He is a con artist. Out of his depth. Over indulged. A mistake.

RedOne, well like you say it seems an obvious move to move for Cabaye. I don't care about paying over the odds. Our season was going up in smoke early on and now the fire is out of control! Cabaye would instantly improve us without a doubt. But like you say clearly not going to even try and sign him. I guess it's no one and 6th or 7th place then.

"Moyes will do what suits Moyes. He thinks he is the best coach, best at tactics, best at buying players. He is none of those things." Your speaking like you know the man. Anyway I am off to Salford now to watch a bit of under 21s action, play nice guys!

@ ys - actually I am on this blog usually win or lose if you have been following it for a while as I have been on this blog since it started. Since you enquire, I have been away on holiday and just returned to Blighty, owever, thank you Sir for noticing my absence, I never notice yours. And your point is what?

Agree, its not acceptable, but on the other hand i dont see DM get replaced anytime soon, so i want him to succeed for the sake of our club. So as i ve said 6th place is almost a must with the team of champions no matter how poor you are as manager. So beyond that, it will just show the mess we re in. DM could at least pick someone to give him a couple of good advices, but then again doubt he would listen...

@Gary Mitrovic

The only time u lose your man is when you lose focus due to exhaustion. One more indication of over excessive training methods. I agree that for defender, its not acceptable. That is why Evans was not regular under SAF. He played him in only selective games. Evans needs to be rested and reasurred of his abilities. He is great defender when fully fit and confident. So Moyes can do sth about it afterall...

Nothing would make me happier than DM proving me wrong. I would love for him to grow some tactical awareness and manage to motivate our team of champions into winning every single game we have left this season.

I would even be ecstatic if he manages to just make 4th place by the skin of his teeth.

But so far there is absolutely no sign of anything positive that he has done. And quite the contrary, a great deal of negatives.

Tommy - I think they all got to take the blame for the mess we are in, including fergie

I blame fergie for not building the squad into the condition it needed to be in, for someone like Moyes who lacks the experience at the top of the mountain of club football, to build title winning squads to keep united at the top. Because if Moyes has got a top squad, that alone gives him the settle down period he needs, so he can add a player here and there. If the squad has got glairing gapping holes like it currently has got, it makes inexperienced managers like Motesm a much harder time to settle down. He was not like fergie of 86, who had the top flight experience to build squads, and win trophy's, and now we have a broken backbone of a defence and midfield in a complete mess.

I blame the glazers for grid locking the clubs inability to compete for the market value prices, quality players are at a high price, and the glazers since the summer of 2009, have let rivals get stronger, and every year we have got weaker and weaker. The Ronaldo money gone, our success and profit made us loads of money, that money is gone. And if many think the glazers have spent money, get real, we have spent for me outdated value market prices, oh 24 million here and there, any club is spending that money. So the glazers are a big part of the lack of squad maintenance needed to keep us competing. And their incompetent appointment of Ed Woodward, who should be the first to be out the door

Moyes is also to blame for our huge slump, he is still picking certain players who do not deserve to be on the pitch, like valecia and young, he agreed to a 5 year contract for Nani, he signed fellaini, when there were CM players out there, like herrara who he went for a last ditch attempt on signing him. No he goes and buys a poor number 10 like fellaini. And united should be further up the table, with a poor squad or not, Moyes should be capable of having united closer to Liverpool.

So overall, they all got to take the slice of the blame, its a team game they all take the blame, that has turned us from title winners, to leeds utd also ran's back in 2001, and that is a crime in itself.

@ RepeatOf99 - mate this "But so far there is absolutely no sign of anything positive that he has done. And quite the contrary, a great deal of negatives." - is the crux of it. As so many have noted, its not just results, it's performances and a complete lack of direction.

Right now United seems like a Bentley driven with 2 wheels off the road by a learner driver navigated by a 5 year old and the fat owner sits back with hat, cigar, waistcoat and eye glass, puffing away and pretending all is OK as after all he just hired the man on a fat contract, surely he can manage to drive a Bentley on the bloody road, after all, the last driver said he was the man.

And after ruining the Bentley, Moyes will say, it was not my fault Sir, the car needed new tires, a new engine and a new gear box. The owner will say but we won the grand national with this Bentley last year. Moyes will say, well, we will try to win it next year, if we can.

Well top 4 would be so awesome, would be even happier than last year when we were champions=) Well bit exaggerated here, but really feel this way right now. Yesterday I couldn`t helped myself not to laugh when noticed how the three male chelski fans just above the seats were mimicing Moyes`s shaking head with open mouths. But it was more of a desperation laugh as DM seems to just not see it. I wish SAF would come once again to DM and slap him to wake him up.

He is dreaming, thinking double sessions would do any good. It would be good to give them a day off, instead gather and just talk, maybe see a good film together. Everything that is happening there sounds tense and players can feel it and its not helping anyone. They need to be at ease if the things are to work the right way.

@NBI Red 21

Yeah and the other half look frustrated. No way its going to work this way. I dont understand how DM is not seeing it. Its not a physical issue, its in the heads atm. Its true that physical pressure reduces tension, but thats for someone working behind a computer not proffesional footbaler whose job is to be fit, not tired.

@Tommy. Its not a strength doesnt mean all British coaches or players will suck in that aspect. Best iis one of my fav players ever. Gascoigne was a genius in the mold of Rooney. And there are Giggs and Scholes. And as I said at the bottom, there are exception to the rule.
And I dont agree with you absolving Moyes of blame for the players' errors. Dalglish's Liverpool struck the bar a ridiculous amount 2 seasons back and thus drew and lost a lot of games. You can say it wasnt his fault too, but results is what matters in sports. And till then, the manager has to bear all the blame.
@NBI. Hi mate, I know you have a running beef with Tommy and Wayne. Please lets all chill and try to keep it polite and respectfull. Afterall, we are all in this together.

@ Kwesi - dude, I have no beef with anyone, just what they say. Tommy is fine, I am sure he gets it. Wayne is nuts.

@ slim - Ole Ole Ole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wait till we play Rene and Ole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least seeing them is a good reminder...of what we were - guys who "get" United! And don't call us the "project" like Moyes has started.

That said. If we get Rooney back fresh and RVP we could nick it on individual brilliance that has bailed us out so far. However RVP looks like he is saving himself for his last world cup.

Ole = Legend. Now he should have been the assistant manager at United if he would have taken it. Would love Ole and Rene to do well as managers, Brucie too, I really wish one of our former players had made it to top level in management by now so they could have managed us. Saying that we got a manager who never played or coached at top level.

For me though, Klopp. Ole and Rene back at United, back them to get this team going.

@ RedOne - All top managers motivate players. Listen to players on SAF, Maureen or Pep. These guys for the best our of players. If you cannot do that you should not be managing at this level. If you make players seem worse than they were you should not be managing at this level. Even Harry Rednapp gets more out of players than Moyes does. All those managers who lift their teams whether they be at top or bottom of the table have something, Martinez despite a relegation fight lifted his players performances in the FA cup and they played with belief and faith in their manager.

Great managers inspire players to run through walls for them, raise their level and sit up straighter. You need that aura and personality at top level. Not a manager who has no confidence in himself let alone his players. Management is a skill different from just coaching. Keano was too rough to be loved by players though he was a great player and read the game brilliantly and probably would be a great coach or assistant.

United is about BELIEVE and that was first thing Moyes killed by writing us off in the CL and lowering expectations, that's what the man is about, lowering expectations and then trying to make it look like he exceeded them and did well. A manager who does not believe United can win has no place here.

NBI - may is well let him finish off the rest of the season, and if he fails to make the top 4 I would sack him, to be honest either way I think he needs to go anyway, either the summer or another season or 2. He is way out of his depth, and we need coaches who inspire and are about the technical side of the game. Like I say fergie never helped with the squad he left Moyes with, but Moyes should be doing better, he took over the PL champions, not the champions of the championship, and if he cannot manage a title winning squad, what is he doing here?

@NBI, u said Moyes hasn't signed a good attacker in his life. Tell me Saha, Yakubu, Cahill aren't attackers? U can question his playing philosophy all u want but when it comes to signings all managers can do the business.

Oh and Moyes has now declared we are not out of the title race. Great first write us off and say we don't have the players to compete at top level off now pretend you think we can win the league when it makes you look like a joke, everyone knows we are struggling for 4th and our Captain said as much. That type of comment should be reserved for when we get on some kind of run not to make us look like the Knight of Ne in Monty Python's King Arthur. Guess its DM's tough act, he really should make his mind up whether he thinks we are shit or winners.

We haven't scored a meaningful game after the 80th minute and have a 10% reduction of play in the final 3rd. On all stats we are getting worse despite having 3 new players (Zaha, Januzaj, Fellani).

The Club has lost all its leaders and the replacements cannot lead. Period. Every stat is negative. Every game painful to watch. I agree with comments above, the players issue is mental, possibly training issues, the tactics are shit all in all just not the right match. Let us all at least agree Moyes and United is not working and the Club on every objective piece of evidence is going backwards.

OK coming up after gym the list of forward flops Moyes signed. Even Everton fans have acknowledged he was weak in this area. Cahill and Fellani are the type of MF players he likes, they knock down balls and fit his long ball style perfectly. he usually uses that type on MF player behind a generally shit striker who he has run around like a headless chicken. Have you seen Cahill in the US by the way. Yakubu? Erm. Saha was a proven player at top level, a no brainier, if it wasn't for his injuries we would have kept him.

Cool lets look at who the man has signed. To be continued. So far at United one Fellani who has done fuck all for £30mn. Renewing Nani's contract. Januzaj was a given we were desperate to sign him so no kudos there, at least he plays but hell are we depending on an 18 year old to save us a bit too much here.

Completely agree here, could not said it better myself. The only problem here is that they will stick with Moyes, because SAF will never admit his mistake. SAF was the best no doubt, but lately i noticed that the age has gotten to him and made some mistakes, but this is the biggest and most important one, unfortunately.

Yeah Martinez is great, despite many writing him off. I always liked his approach which was attacking fluid game. It showed in either outbeating the opponent or themselves by conceding=) Still he has guts and clear vision. Just lacked the funds for quality. He would have brought McCarthy with him and he would be great in our engine room. And probably two other unknown to public quality players for reasonable price.

Tommy says:
@NBI
When did I say tactics were not
important? Stop spouting
nonsence and blatant lies about
me, I was not rude to Everton fans, I said it how it is and told them that on twitter, This is the last time I will respond to you fucking
liar!!!!!
@Tommy
you are the one who is clearly lying i can still remenber you saying that tactics dont win matches.. can stil remenber john and Taulest geting a go at for saying that. some times you talk like a retard fool. which u clearly are. you dont realy knw anytin about football. appart from supporting moyes. fulishly.

NBI...u said he hasn't signed an attacker all his life. I just gave u some. U can't say those aren't attackers. What they are now is inconsequential. What matters is what they were before he signed them and what they were during their time with him. Oh and don't forget Andy Johnson.

Behave mate, blameing Fergie, saying its age plaease, Hes rated Moyes for years and tried to make him assistant when he was at Preston, Incidently this time last year Moyes Everton were 5th and this years Martines Everton(with a whole team of borrowed players just brought another one in today) are 6th